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Should I Lose Weight Before I Get Pregnant?

Question:

What are the risks of having a baby when you're overweight? I need to lose weight,
but I'm worried I'll never have a baby if I hold off until I've lost weight.

Answer:

Ideally, a woman will want to start her pregnancy at a healthy weight for her height,
to minimize complications during her pregnancy.

Several studies have been
done to understand the effect that being overweight or obese can have on a pregnancy.
Overweight and obese women have been found to be at an increased risk of several pregnancy
complications, such as diabetes with pregnancy (gestational diabetes mellitus), high
blood pressure (hypertension), toxemia of pregnancy or preeclampsia. Overweight women
can also be at a greater risk of requiring a cesarean section, with an increased risk
of infection or developing a blood clot.

In addition, a baby born to a
woman who is overweight or obese can be at increased risk of premature delivery or
a difficult delivery, or to develop childhood obesity.

The American College
of Obstetricians (ACOG) has changed the guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy
and has even stated that maternal weight loss - if there is normal growth of the baby
- has not been seen to have a negative effect on the pregnancy, and may in fact reduce
some of the risk factors.

Below you will find a table with the recommended
weight gain for a BMI range: